Last hurrah for Reading bowls club closing after 35 years

The Rivermead Indoor Bowls Club was founded in 1988 at the Rivermead Leisure Complex, operating from a Bowls Hall.

The club has had hundreds if not thousands of members through the years in a place where people, mainly the elderly, can have bowls games and socialise.

But now the club has had its last session as the hall they use is due to be replaced with other facilities.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service visited the club on its last day, with many members disappointed to see it go.

John Wood said: “It’s a very sad occasion, it’s a great shame because it’s ideally situated in the middle of Reading for the people who live in Tilehurst, Caversham, so they don’t have to go miles to the west or try to get across town to play bowls.

“It’s a great shame because for a lot of people, it’s probably the only exercise they get, it’s probably the only companionship they had, to come down on Mondays for a couple of hours, have a chat, have a tea now it’s all gone.

“It will almost be like the lockdown for some.”

The entrance to the now closed Bowls Hall at Rivermead Leisure Complex in Richfield Avenue, Reading. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Catherine Woolridge, 84, Caversham, agreed.

She said: “It was totally the wrong decision [to get rid of the Bowls Hall]. We’re like a family.

“It’s not just the bowls, it’s a little bit of exercise but it’s also the social.

“For a council that says it’s looking after the health and wellbeing of its older people, I’m sorry, this doesn’t speak like they are.”

Both Mr Wood and Catherine Woolridge have been attending the club from the start.

Some of the club members have seen success in national competitions.

Pat Fowkes, 74, from West Reading joined in 2004 and made it to the Champion of Champions indoor bowls competition twice.

While she said she prefers outdoors, Pat explained: “Indoors it keeps your hand in, it gets you out socially and it gives you some exercise.

“It’s all very friendly, it’s competitive when you want it to be and social when you want it to be.”

In order to compete, players have to be a member of a club.

Pat Fowkes, 74, from West Reading, and Catherine Woolridge, 84, from Caversham, at the last session of the Rivermead Indoor Bowls Club in Reading. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service

The bowling club will go because Rivermead is being redeveloped, without providing facilities for bowls.

While there are other indoor bowling clubs in the area, those who use Rivermead would have to travel to Newbury, Earley or Maidenhead to continue to practice the sport.

Richard West, 85, from Tilehurst, a club committee member explained:  “The problem is, the majority of members come from Caversham and Tilehurst.”

Catherine Woolridge added: “For the majority of the people that come here, this is the convenient place to come.

“For me for example I live in Caversham, for me to get into Reading, it’s a bus in and out, other places just aren’t feasible.”

Mr West explained that long drives or bus journeys are prohibitive.

He said: “You can take anything from 20 minutes to an hour and 20 minutes, it’s a dreadful drive.

“Some in the Tilehurst area will go to the West Berkshire Indoor Bowling Club in Newbury.”

However, due to the closure, Mr West said 75-80 per cent of current members may no longer bowl.

The West Berkshire Indoor Bowling Club has a dedicated site in Wallis Gardens, Newbury.

Whiteknights Indoor Bowls Club in Beech Lane, Earley has invited Rivermead members to try out their club, waiving membership fees from Friday, March 31 to Friday, April 21, with sessions that can be booked by calling 0118 986 0759.

None of the members have decided whether they will join Whiteknights club yet, but Mr Wood said he would consider joining the club in Newbury.

READ MORE: Reading bowls club set to close as part of council's outsourced leisure re-development at Rivermead

The closure of the indoor bowling facility coincides with the beginning of the outdoor bowling season.

Mr West said: “It’s a bit of a problem, outdoor bowls is completely different to bowling indoors, which is a lot easier, the surface is better, with outdoor being much harder for some people.

“There is a percentage of older people who play indoors who don’t play outdoors at all.”

It was announced that indoor bowling would no longer be a part of the facilities at Rivermead back in 2020.

Mr Wood called the changes approved by the council “shortsighted.”

The closure follows upgrades to leisure centres being made as part of Reading Borough Council’s contract with leisure provider Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL), trading as Better leisure centres.

Craig Woodward, partnership manager at GLL, confirmed that indoor bowling facilities will no longer be located at Rivermead.

He also pointed out that the outdoor season for bowling begins this Saturday (April 1).